Dealing With
by Pullingdatrigger.UsureUsureXxX
Summary: Clare knows she has to forget about Eli,but he's determined to renew his romance with Clare.But with Jake back to Clare's life, who knows, things may change.Will Clare give Eli another chance? Or will she try something new with Jake?
1. Trying to Forget Someone is Hard

**Well, this is after Clare and Eli broke up in Drop the World. The only new character here is Jake, not Imogen, okay. And I don't think she will be appearing because…um...just because. :)**** Well…truth is…it's because that's what I want and it's my story and I wrote it and blah blah blah. The character's might be a little out of character, or maybe not. I'm not sure. Oh! And Jake and Clare used to like each other, so they admitted it to one another in the past, like way before Clare and Eli met. They kind of had a history together, but now that has seen her again...those feelings might still b there. So yeah…Now, let's just carry on with the story.**

I don't own degrassi. Sadly. Oh and P.S. This is my first story and my first time so I hope you all like it. :)

It's been weeks since I have seen Eli. He's probably still recovering from the accident. The thought of him just makes me want to cry. The truth is that I miss him. I miss what we had. What we used to be. How he used to be. Not the overprotective Eli who scared the hell out of me when he crashed Morty, and almost died. I miss the caring, fun, sarcastic, crazy boy I fell in love with. My Eli. But now, we don't belong together. What we had, is over. I can't be around him anymore. I can't let him manipulate me again. I can't let him scare me again. When I heard the loud crash over the phone as I talked to him the day of the dance, I imagined the worst. I thought he had _died_. I thought _My Eli _was _dead. _As soon as that thought came through my mind, I wanted to die with him as well. What made me feel worst was that he did it _because_ of _me_. I couldn't let him do this again, so I decided it was for the best.

Today was a new day, and Jake was back, along with his father. We were back to school and it was a Monday, which by the way was my least favorite day of the week.

"Hey!" hollered Alli, as she ran to my side.

"Hi."

"Have you seen Eli?"

"Um…no, why?"

"You two need closure, don't you?"

"Well, kind of…yes"

"Then there he is," she whispered, gazing at him.

I turned to follow her gaze, and found Eli. He wore a white neck brace and a leg cast. He sustained himself with a cane with a skull on the top. He clutched the cane with such manner that made me feel goose bumps. His camouflage green eyes surveyed my eyes. I just stood there, motionless. My feet rooted to the floor. Seconds passed by that seemed like hours. He looked like he wanted to talk to me, but somehow couldn't. He seemed desperate. I then wondered if _I_ looked desperate. I had to do something. Fast. C'mon Clare! Go talk to him. Alright. I then approached him slowly, afraid of what might happen next.

"Hey, Eli, how are you feeling?" I asked carefully, trying to read what he might be thinking, which, of course, was hopeless.

"Good," he answered hastily. He looked like he had been holding his breath for a long time. Unease was written all over his eyes. He looked pained, as if talking to me felt like someone was hitting him with a baseball bat in the stomach. Hard.

I felt guilty. I wanted to take that pained look that laid upon his face, and erase it forever out of my mind.

"Okay good," I said, faking a smile. It was hard to really smile at him when he looked so anxious. Yet, things needed to get fixed between us. So…Here it was.

I took a deep breath and asked him. "Can we talk?"

"Well, we _are_ talking, aren't we?" he asked fake smiling.

"Well, okay then, um…you know that…what happened was for the best, and once we had something very nice, and I hope we can be friends," I said quietly. As soon as I finished talking, his whole face went pale and then was replaced by desperation.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out, and then he closed it. He looked troubled, like if he wanted to tell me something but wasn't sure if he should say it aloud. He still looked troubled. He wasn't answering. He wasn't saying anything at all.

Silence ruled the moment.

_I _didn't know what to say. The bell rang and we both just glared at each other. I guess that was it…I turned around and walked to class.

XXXX

Weeks passed. Jake and I hung out almost every other day. He joked around a lot, even though it got annoying sometimes. There were times I wanted to hit him for being so realistic, or cocky I guess. I still wasn't sure. Eli and I practically avoided each other. There were times he wanted to talk to me, but I wasn't sure I wanted to talk to him, so I just hid myself. He wasn't wearing his neck brace and leg cast, and he wasn't using his skull cane anymore. Although, he limped a few times. He was feeling better, well, at least physically. I wonder if he has moved on.

As I walked towards my next class, Eli appeared. We glared at each other longingly, until he smiled. He _actually _smiled. It's been a long time since I haven't seen him smile this way, as if he was glad he saw me. As if he was glad he was with me.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked. The curiosity was killing me.

"You're beautiful," he said. Just like that. Grinning, his camouflage green eyes examined my face.

As soon as he said those two words, I melted. I don't know why, though.

"Why are _You _smiling?" he asked. I hadn't even realized I was smiling, too.

"I don't know," I stated. It was true. I had no idea why I was smiling. This was so random. Like if that was the only thing he had to say after the whole _situation_, _break up_, _accident_, or however you call it.

"See you later," he simply said, and left with a grin plastered on his mouth.

Okay… What was that all about? I guess everything is forgotten. Everything is fine now, right? Nobody's hurt anymore. Everyone is perfectly fine. Me. I have moved on, haven't I?

Out of nowhere, Jake appears.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he questioned, inspecting my blue eyes.

"Oh, nothing," I answered.

"Alright…aren't you going to go to class?" he inquired, still eyeing me.

Could he stop looking at me like that? I am not sure why, but it makes me feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah, of course," I snapped. As I turned around, I saw him snicker at me.

Ugh! Really?

I spun around to face him again. "What's so funny?" I asked him for the millionth time since I met him, which would be for like _ever_. Mainly because he and I used to like each other when we were kids, but now, we don't. We're just best friends, even though he sometimes gets on my nerves. When he moved back here, I've been asking him the same exact question even more frequently than usual, which I find weird.

"Nothing…You kind of look like you want to puke," he smirked, clearly wanting to burst out with laughter.

"Well, I don't."

"Are you sure you just didn't see a ghost?" he sneered jokingly.

"Nope, I'm sure," I declared.

"Okay then," he furrowed his eyebrows, all of a sudden getting all serious, and then crossed his arms to his chest, "What are you up to?" He surveyed my face, and his eyes slowly narrowed.

"Oh my gosh, Jake! I said _nothing_, golly…How many times do I have to say it?"

He laughed. "Alright! Alright!" He threw his hands in the air as if to show that he's not guilty. He seemed amused. Out of nowhere, a loud laugh erupts the hall, which scares the heck out of me. Next thing I know, Jake was cracking up. Oh, how delightful? Crimson red now covered his whole face. Jake's laughter echoes through the halls, which thankfully are all empty now. Oh great, I'm late.

He looked like a lunatic. If anyone passes by, I'm not with him. He took a moment to breathe, and then continued with his ridiculous mockery.

Oh lord! What the hell, Jake? What is so damn funny? Ahh!…I can see he's entertained. Quite a charm he is. Well I can see now that he is pleasantly occupied. I'll just walk away now.

I escaped to my class, leaving him with his usual breakdowns. This is totally normal of him. The whole laughing for no reason.

XXXX

Even more weeks passed and Eli and me had our little encounters, telling me how beautiful and adorable I was. I just didn't know how to respond to that so I kept quiet. He told me he was glad to see me and to be with me. I just repeated to him that he was insane, and he would then simply smirk. I found it weird, but I mean, he has probably turning into another annoying Jake. Oh well, he could tell me to marry him and I would just tell him to go marry a stick or something, not me. I just knew one thing, Eli and I weren't getting back together. I really didn't give a damn anymore.

Adam, Alli, and me walked to class as usual. We talked about random stuff.

"Should we go get a coffee or something because I am exhausted and I need some energy," Alli babbled.

I noticed Jake coming this way.

Oh great! What does he want now?

"Can we talk?" he baffled. He looked bewildered, and panicky.

"Uh.. Right now?" I questioned.

"Yes, but basically in private" he explained with frustration, glaring at me, then at my friends.

"Well, look Jake, I'm with my friends, and I really can't-"

He furrowed his brow, and grabbed my hand very annoyed.

OUCH!

"Ugh, sorry," he sighed, pulling me away from my friends.

"Hey! What's wrong with you? Have you gone mad? Are you sick or what?" I protested, while he dragged me into an empty hall.

As much as I tried to release my hand from his, it was no use.

"Yes, maybe, maybe," he exhaled unsmilingly, finally freeing my hand. He shoved both of his hands inside his pockets and a grim, set look on his face, "but that's my problem, don't you think?"

There was a long pause.

"Well then….What do you want?" I asked annoyingly, making a face, and placing both of my hands on my hip.

Oh…This was going to be good…

"Well… I wanted to tell _you _that…," he hesitated, taking one of his hands out his pocket to point at me, "that _I _am still…," he pointed his finger at himself, took a deep breath, and made a face.

Oh for Christ's sake.. Would you spit it out already?

There was another long pause.

"That I still have feelings for you," he exhaled, letting it out in a rush. He wet his lips and stared at me doubtfully.

Uh-huh. Okay…Um…What the Hell? Is he talking about what we had when we were kids. Children. This was the last thing I was expecting for him to say. Like, when did this happen?

_We were barely ten or twelve, Jesus Christ, Jake! Oh and for your information, Jake, I am perfectly fine right now, why thanks for sharing this lovely Hallucination. Daydream. Delusion._

"And like, why are you coming to tell me that right now?" I sighed, crossing my arms. _Breathe, Clare_, _just breathe…_

"Like…? Isn't it obvious?" he asked startled, looking alarmed, and pointing his finger at his face. His face was filled with confusion and puzzlement. He then began to gaze at me worriedly.

"No, " I choked out, shaking my head a little, and then gulped. I stared at him amazed with my eyes wide open. _Astonishing._

"Well, because there is _something_ between you and me. Isn't there?" he hesitated confused by my reaction, which was another way of saying "Duh."

Okay. Wow!

"Something?" I blurted out. I blinked and stared at him with shock still amazed trying to let it sink in.

He made a cocky grin.

"C'mon, Clare, stop pretending…" he said harmoniously, his cocky grin becoming wider and wider as he leaned closer to me. He brushed his fingers against my chin. We gazed longingly at each others eyes. "You like me, I like you, and…"he trailed off, reaching for my lips, until our foreheads met, and I had no idea how to respond. What was I supposed to do?

I slowly leaned back. "And what?" I shrieked breathless, lost in his eyes. I could still feel his fingers touching my chin.

Ah! Why was I reacting this way? Stop, Clare! Just Stop. I don't like him, right?

He narrowed his brow as if realizing something, and slowly straighten up. "And now there's no problem with Eli?" he asked, closing his fist, and pointing his thump elsewhere.

"What are you doing?" Eli asked, taking the place of where Jake's thump was pointing toward.

Breaking our gaze, I noticed Eli staring at us from behind Jake. I stood there motionless, gaping at him. He looked perplexed. His face promptly turned to sorrow, and then to pensiveness.

XXX

**Cliffhanger! Well...kinda... **

**So...Did you guys like it? Hate it? If you found it boring, don't worry it's going to get interesting soon. :D Please review it. It doesn't matter how you review it. (if you just put a letter or your name or a happy face, or whatever) Just please write something so you let me know that you read it. It would make me really happy! :D and I will keep on writing.**

**Oh and keep in mind that it's my first time. :)**


	2. NO STOP!

**Here's the next chapter guys! Hope you like it! :)**

I quickly stared down at the floor, thinking of a way to respond. C'mon think, FAST!

"H-Hey," I stuttered. I grinned right away, giving him my best smile so, he wouldn't suspect a thing on what was going on in here. Which was probably useless.

Jake made a face very annoyed, like if he had just tasted some spoiled milk or something, and slowly turned around gazing at the floor.

He then looked up quickly, showing too much self-confidence. "Hey…What's up, Eli?" he asked reluctantly, giving me a smug grin and pointing at Eli. He looked very arrogant and annoyed at his appearance **as if** saying "Look, who's here…Yeah, I am talking about the jerk standing behind me. Who does he think he is interrupting us? But don't worry I'll take care of this guy…Do you want me to go straight to this guy's nuts? Or do you want me to take it easy on him with a simple low-blow? Your choice, honey."

Ugh… I stared at him in disgust.

Aw…! Eli wore a sad face that made me want to hug him and say "sorry", even though I didn't even do nothing bad to him.

"I think that you're out of place, you know, not wanted here…," Jake bragged, and pointed at me, then at himself, smiling, "You're interrupting…"

I was speechless.

"So…Uh-Huh…," Eli nodded as if he was trying to understand. "Really? You want me to go away?" he asked turning towards me.

Jake was staring at him with so much pride, and arrogance, waiting for my approval.

What's up with the staring people?

"No…But…." I hesitated, smiling at Eli. I then noticed Jake turning to look at me, very surprised and shocked. He glared at me with amazement, which then turned to disapproval, as if I were a traitor. After awhile he grinned, shook his head and hissed. Holding his head high, he rolled his eyes, and walked away with both of his hands in his pockets, bumping shoulders with Eli.

When he was out of sight, Eli walked closer to me and, looked intently into my eyes. I think we stared, and smiled at each other for about one or two minutes. I then realized what was going on, so I turned to my locker and took my binder out, while Eli just smiled at me.

Before I knew it I saw Jake walking toward us.

Oh great. He's back. Now, what does he want? It better not be trouble, which probably was.

"Here, again?" Eli asked him, while he turned to face him. He raised his head high in the air to appear taller than Jake.

"Yes, here again. Because you know what…," Jake bragged, and then turned to look at me, "I am not going to let myself lose."

_Lose? Do I look like a stupid trophy to the two of you?_

"Well you are not going to have a choice, my friend," Eli exhaled, and then nodded in self-satisfaction.

Jake laughed and said smilingly, "She and I are together, man."

Wait. What?

"Is that true, Clare? You are going out with **that**?" Eli moved his head towards Jake. Meanwhile, Jake just looked down to pretend he didn't see the dirty look Eli shot at him.

"Uh…No…," I confirmed. I needed some air. I couldn't make myself say words. I just said "no" because that was all I had managed to choke out. I think I was paralyzed. C'mon Clare! Snap out of it!

"No, but we are getting there." Jake quickly looked up, turned to Eli to smile, and showed that he still wasn't defeated.

"Oh yeah? Well, I don't think so. Because maybe that's where _we_ are going, _Clare_ and _I_." Eli encountered, pointing at me and then at himself.

"Wait! Wait right there!" I stuttered. "Both of you excuse me. Neither you nor you," I stated, pressing my hand against my forehead, and pointing at each of them. I felt so hopeless. Were these two ever going to understand? Ugh. I don't want any complications right now.

"You and me," Jake gestured swiftly with his hand towards me and then towards himself.

"No, no, no…_You_ and _me_ **nothing**," I declared exasperated, interrupting him. They had no idea how annoyed, and irritated I was with all of this.

"No, Clare, _us_…," Eli pointed to me and himself back and forth.

Jake shook his head, along with his finger. As if he were saying "_Ha, ha. No, no, no. Why would she even pick you?_"

Again with the finger and the pointing! These two are out of their minds. Crazy.

"No _us_, neither," I announced, interrupting again. I was tired of explaining to them over, and over again, so I just walked away. I could still hear them both talking to each other, as I strode down the hall.

"She left both of us," Jake said, disappointed.

"Yeah…," Eli replied, exhaling.

" And I thought she wanted me…," Jake baffled.

" She wanted me," Eli encountered, probably smiling, and then I heard him walk away. I could hear his footsteps behind me, so I began to scurry.

"You what?" Jake hollered at him, so he could hear him.

XXX

**There y'all go! I know it's kinda short... :/ But I hope it's good enough that I didn't waste your time. Please Review! :D**


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